Livin' the Dream in Lima

These cookies might just be my absolute favorite cookies. EVER. I've mentioned before that I worked at a bakery/cafe (Katie's Cafe) during high school & college. And I absolutely loved it.  Cookies were definitely one of the most popular items at Katie's Cafe - there were always at least a dozen freshly baked varieties up for grabs. And, they were huge!  Think cookies the size of your face. My favorite cookie from Katie's was the Peanut Butter Cup - rich peanut buttery cookie dough, smooshed into a muffin cup and baked, and then filled with chocolate frosting. Like an inside out Reese's cup, in cookie form. I've made some slight adaptations to the cookie, making it even more decadent. Instead of filling it with a powdered sugar chocolate frosting, I've filled it with a deep chocolate ganache. Yum.  Sinking your teeth into the soft chocolate ganache then the chewy peanut butter cookie might just be the best bite ever. However, these...

Last year, about this time, I embarked on my first ever blog challenge. I challenged myself to bake twenty-five different types of Christmas cookies, and blog about them. I called it the "25 Days of Christmas Cookies." I almost  completed the challenge, but slacked off a bit on Days 24 & 25. (aka Christmas Eve & Christmas. I might have been a bit pre-occupied with other things...) This year, I thought about doing the same challenge, but as my students would say, "That's doin' too much." Heh. Honestly, it was a lot of work, a lot of time, a lot of ingredients, and a lot of cookies! So this year I've decided to do just "12 Days of Christmas Cookies". Still lots of fun but not as overwhelming. I'll be starting tomorrow, so make sure to check back each day from December 1st through 12th for a fun new holiday treat! If you're interested in seeing what I made last year, here it is! They include some of my family favorites, al...

Celebrate with a cupcake! Preferably one with sprinkles!